Poultry feeding device



1952 c L NIE N POULTRY FEEDING DEVICE Filed Sept. 22

INVENTOR 67142465 A. A/mimw/ ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 29, 1952 POULTRY FEEDING DEVICE Charles L. Niemann, Westhoro, Mo.

Application September 22, 1950, Serial No. 186,281

-This' invention relates in general to feeding devices for poultry, and deals, more particularly, with an improved construction and arrangement for a feeding device which is advantageously used to provide for and increase the food consumption of young turkeys, baby chicks, ducks, geese, etc, thereby minimizing the loss thereof due to starvation and otherwise promoting the faster growth of such poultry.

In the growing of turkeys, for example, there l is always the problem of avoiding a heavy loss of the turkey poults by starvation and inadequate food consumption, particularly during the period immediately following their arrival from the hatchery. At the time of hatching, baby turkeys have a poor and limited vision and usually are stupid and rather stubborn such that it is quite difficult to make them eat sufficiently to avoid starvation and otherwise have a nor mal or above'average rate of growth.

It has been found that turkey poults, baby chicks. etc. will pick at bright and shiny objects which attract their attention and when a feeding device is provided with such bright and shiny objects, the poults will pick at the same in a manner whereby they receive in their beaks quantities of feed that provides them with adequate food consumption eliminating much of the loss which would otherwise be suffered due to starvation and inadequate food consumption.

A primary object of the invention, accordingly, is to provide a poultry feeding device, such as described,in which the bright and shiny objects for attracting the attention of the turkey poults, baby chicks, etc., for the purposes aforesaid, is provided by means of a light included in the feeding device, and which light preferably is of the character of a cold light or a light without heat such as provided by an electric lamp containing neon gas or other gas or vapor which produces a bright and gleaming light without radiating heat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a feeding device of this character which comprises a .cold light, as and for the purposes set forth in the foregoing, and in which such a light is provided in the feeding device together with the feed at substantially the feed level of the feeding device.

Another, more specific object of the invention is to provide, a poultry feeding device of the character described which comprises an elon-,

2 Claims. (Cl. 119-51) mounted therein in a manner whereby the trough may be filled with feed around and slightly over the neon tube such that there is provided a bright and gleaming light in and through the feed along the length of the feeding trough.

Further objects and advantages and other new and useful featuresin the construction, arrangement and general combination of parts of the invention will be apparent as the following description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like reference charactersdesignate like parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a. perspective of a poultry feeding device in accordance with the invention, as provided in the form of an elongate feeding trough having an electric lamp such as a neon tube, or the like, mounted in longitudinal relation within the feeding trough} and vFig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the feeding trough shown in Fig. 1, as seen along line 2-2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

While the poultry feeding device of the present invention is shown in the drawings and described with reference to the provision thereof in the form of a feeding trough for'use by turkey poults, baby chicks, etc., it will be appreciated that the invention is not in any way limited to such a construction or use but rather is readily adaptable to other forms of similar and related poultry feeding devices.

In the present example, the feeding device is shown provided as a feeding trough for feeding turkey poults or baby chicks during the first three weeks or so after they are hatched, and longer if desired, as, for example, in the broiler industry, etc. During this period, the improved feeding device serves to promote and speed the growth of the turkey poults and otherwise mini-- mizes and eliminates much of the loss of the turkey poults due. to starvation and inadequate food consumption, as aforesaid. A further advantage resides in the fact that the feeding device eliminates cannibalism to an important extent inas much as the poults, chicks or other birds are so fascinated by the bright and gleaming light withing the feeding device that they are usually occupied in picking at the light and thus are quiet and content with little tendency toward cannibalism.

Referring now, more particularly, to the draw ings, Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a poultry feeding device in accordance with the invention asprovidedinthe form of a feeding trough, designated generally A.

r in the cormsiae'ireedaig day 7 Theilamp 3i] mayi'be'fprovided i end thereofff or any Such a feeding trough A may be provided in any suitable construction in the manner of an elongate receptacle comprisin a, bottom Ill, side walls i2, and'end walls I5 joining said bottom and side walls at each end of the trough. present example, the side walls 12 are shown as formed preferably with return bent flanges l3 defining beads serving to reinforce and stiffen said side walls I2. The end walls I5 include extensions on their y-uppefportions which are pro; vided with holes 'lTfor" supportinga rotatable anti-roosting rod 20 extending longitudinally over the trough A. The use of the anti-roosting rod 20 is optional and in the present example, as best seen in Figure 2, the same is' provilid by a suitable length of sheet metal bent uporritsel'i to define a fin 2| carrying outwardly ber t iins gi all extending radially from atemrai 's'pind tion 24. The spindle 24 terminates in projections 25 at each end defining piyots which are received in the holes 1 inthe end walls is of: the trough Atorotat'a bly supp t said anti-{roosting Within the trough A,' the s mountedaneon tube lamp 3 ii extending longitudinally through the approxi'matamiddle of the trough and .pfef erably slightly below the feed level of trough.

manner "by" means of a e hing neon,

argon, helium or otheff gas or vaporfadaptejd to provide a' cold "lighfif orja light without 'liat,

byl an incandescent amppr fluorescent l v example. It has'b'eeri found'th'atbes'ti are obtained in the use of a coldlight as am esaid', inasmuch as hotjightlisiproduce gether with ,i'adiated' eat whichflseeins t considerably less: fascinating] and attractive the turkey poultsor. baby chicks. The preferred coldli'ght included i the. feed,-

spaced relation; through. the 1:9 i tl diiia dl e ofvthejtloll h AL The "neoritube lampv fifl rnay be mounted in,.t he

in said passage 'ssito mo n tjtn assoc ates said tube lampjfill.

The so'cketti, on the inner end aof vsaid lg ushir g H 3 5 1 11 16 a elg i elg s adst r is connection with an electrical -wi through said bushin d t lla il a rans orme iifla arted -t .:b,

distinguished from a hot light seen as p cied' r I Hu g 7 extending'flengthwise f apprbfiiilnately o lohgittldinallrllddle of sai ftro" h m sses l jlis file' of this patent:

4 and presents no danger thereto when the wire 40 is connected to the source of electricity.

In the use of the feeding device of the present invention, it will be understood from the foregoing that the trough A is filled with feed I in the usual manner slightly above the height of the tube lamp 3i} and preferably with the feed so scattered as to leave small portions of said tube lamp 361 exposed and visible. In any event, when" the tube lamp 3flis enam red 'vvith electricity through the electrical wir'fl and transformer 45, said tube lamp 30 provides a pro- "holinced light which glows with such brilliance as to be clearly visible in and through the feed I a i'r'i'afnne rwhereby it provides a number of 'brightand'shiny spots at the feed level along the length of the trough A and particularly where 'poftionof'said 'tube 30 is exposed.

rjfilldlwith feed and the feedin g device' 'ut'fto s n a seame of "a procedure.

ran e .of f equivalency of the claim b embraced bhlill. 7'

T What is claimed and desired to be secured gby 7 United States Letters Patent is; i!

lifATfioil'ltl "feeding "def/ice comprising an e ongate trough'having s deana' "11's defiiiingi'a receptacle for containing 7 feed, a stanuauy .c'yilindi'i'cal'tubei iamp'in said g'h portion slightly below the: or

A w t t eie ce-ma s I claim 1 w erein sard nes is or ;1 .h

R gaewers The following references are of record i n the ,While the invention hasbeeendesc bed in deg V 

